An interventional study of transcranial direct current stimulation and active sham stimulation in Somatosensory Function, Balance Control and Mobility, sponsored by Hebrew SeniorLife. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-23.
Sponsored by Hebrew SeniorLife · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
In older adults, diminished sensation of the legs and feet is highly prevalent and causes poor balance and reduced mobility. This type of sensation is not only dependent upon the receptors and nerves in the legs and feet, but also upon a complex central nervous system pathway that includes the cerebral cortex of the brain. This project will use a form of noninvasive brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to test whether increasing the excitability of the brain networks that process sensory feedback can augment foot sole sensation, balance, and mobility in older adults suffering from mild-to-moderate foot sole sensory impairments.
Hebrew SeniorLife is the lead sponsor of 36 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in this arm will receive the real tDCS intervention.
Device: transcranial direct current stimulation
Participants in this arm will receive the sham stimulation as control.
Device: active sham stimulation
tDCS can safely and selectively modulate cortical excitability (specifically neuronal firing likelihood) by transferring weak electrical currents between scalp electrodes. The direct current delivered by any one electrode will not exceed 2.0 mA and the total amount of current from all electrodes will not exceed 4 mA in this study.
sham stimulation will implement the same protocol of the tDCS intervention; however, only very low-level currents (no more than 0.5 mA) are transferred between the same electrodes used for the tDCS throughout the 20-minute session. This strategy effectively mimics the cutaneous sensations and skin redness induced by creating only micro cortical electric fields.
postural sway area when standing with eyes closed on the foam
This metric assesses the degree to which the soft support and cut-off of the vision diminishes the control of standing posture.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) time
This metric assesses mobility.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
On-target Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal intensity in response to foot sole stimulation
This metric assesses the degree to which brain cortical regions activated by the walking-related foot-sole stimulation.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
Standing vibratory thresholds of each foot sole
This metric assesses the degree to which the foot soles can sense the vibro-tactile stimuli when standing.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
Postural sway speed when standing with eyes closed on the foam
This metric assesses the degree to which the soft support and cut-off of the vision diminishes the control of standing posture.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
Gait speed of 10m walking test
This metric assesses mobility.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
BOLD signal intensity within other relevant cortical regions in response to foot sole stimulation
This metric assesses the degree to which brain cortical regions activated by the walking-related foot-sole stimulation.
Time frame: Before and immediately after intervention
Plan to share: No
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